The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-03-12
LIFE IN CAMP.
Passing Rec"liecti"ns OF IA Cecil County
soldier in the Late War.

Passing Recoliectinns OF IA Cecil County
Soldier in the Late War.
At OF about the time of the Presiden
till campaign OF So, when James Buch-
auan was elected president, there were a
number of political clubs in the city of
Wllmin ton and throughout the state of
Delaware, known by the name of the
Blue Hens Chickens" At the breaking
out of the rebellion when the loyal heart
OF the North was made TO feel the treach
cry of tue South by the bombardment
and capture OF Fort Sumpter and they
had Withdrawn their representatives from
Congress, the membership OF these clubs
had become considerable. On the call
OF PresideuC Liucolu for $1,000 men for
three months service, these clubs were
all brought together and consolidated
INTO what was afterwards known as the
FIRST Delaware Regiment, and were mus
tered into |. ) service, and did guard
duty on the railroad until their tire ex-
pred. IL then returned to Wilmington
and commenced recruiting for three years
under The following officers: Col. John
W. Andrews, Lieut. Col. Oliver Hopkins,
Mir. Taos. y. Smyth. Adj. William p:
Stvile, Surg ID. \. Maui Asst. Surg 5.
ID. Marsnan, q NJ. T. y. Eus land, Chap
Thus Il. Murphy, Fife aud Drum Major
Michael Duly. Capt OF Band of twenty
lour p eces John Ritcule. AS so1n as
! the companies We're formed and officers
elected, there was a camp formed at
iale's Corner III IA piece OF woods on the
south corner Of the road. AS fast
the men were enlisted, they were sent
out IL camp where they received
their tiIsJ lessons III guard duty. Inc dis
ciplIne WAS not very strict, and it was
hand matter To keep The men i'll camp.
They were constantly breaking over the
fences and getting away. The writer re-
mem berS the frst night he Was put on
guard. lie was given au old muskel
that had neither lock. ramrod or bayonet,
and the barrel hall iull OF mud. Alter
Stay ing III camp Tor about month. the
regiment was nually recruited up to the
standard and mustered into the |. ). SER
wee on september II and was armed
with the Springfield rifle, with buck and
bail cartridge, which the boys called
The father and his three sons" After
the regiment was formed aud before the
companies got their positions, there was
contest between Companies A, and Z,
tor the colols. Company A was uuI ormed
IN ZDuave regiment auu wanted the right.
Company b waited the left, and 4 the
centre on the colorS, and by the child's
game OF pulling straws, each one got It's
own, or III other words, what it wanted
Company & was the Cecil county com
pany OF the regiment, having at the time
Of Its first formation no less than 20 Cecil
county boys according to the company
roster which | bave i'll my possesslun at
the present time. Shortly alter being
mustered into service, we marched to
Newport one Sunday morning, and there
got on DO ird of Il train of cars waiting
Tor us aud arrived III Baltimore about
noon, and land around there till evening.
We then were put on board the steamer
Adelaide, and arrived at Fortress
Monroe the next morning at SIX. We
were landed aud marched past the fort
out across Mill Creek, aid went into
camp Oh the land of a gentleman by the
name OF Stgue who had leased his prop
ertJ to the government, and taken his
family To NashlugJon. Alter forming
our camp and laying 1t out III streets and
avenues requlsltlon was made on General
Wool and the regulation wedge tent Tor
the men aud wall tents Tor officers were
furnished. The camp was land out fac
parallel with the road twelve ieet wide,
ditched on each side, and rounded up
well III the middle, with strip between
each street ten feet wide tor tents In
front or left OF Company street was the
parade ground, twenty yards wide, the
full length of the regiment. On the south
east corner next the road, a log guard
house lOA12 was built. On the right OF
'nfni,lnN at ri,rht .,u,rl.aS
avenue was laid out twenty feet wide Oh
which was located the company cook
houses and was used by teams to bring
III wood aud provisions for the men.
Thirty feet to the rear OF thus were the
tents OF company officers. Forty feet be
hind these the tents of the Colonel in
the center with the Ma jor on the right,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on the lett and the
surgeons, Quarter Master and Chaplain
in the same row. Directly III rear of the
camp on the road was the house which
was used Tor hospital during our stay
here. The Adjutaut had his tent and
office III centre of avenue "A, "a little
70 right aud between Colonel and com
pany officers quarters where before We
lett there pole was planted and a flag
procured i'll Wilmington for the phrpuSe
was hung 10 the breeze every morning
When the camp was first laid out the
only water to be had Was at a well ON the
shore about one quarter of a mile from
camp with an old churn pump in II, and |
almost salt as beef pickle. Finding
tue tler did not agree with them, the |
men began to sink wells at the foot OF |
the Company streets, and although such |
IA short dIsrauce from the beach, good |
wafer was found at twenty feet Com |
pany CS well was lined with pork bar |
relS, and furnished with sweep and |
bucket and was quite handy. Alter the |
camp was finished the business of drill |
my commenced III earnest company drill |
III the morning from ten to twelve and |
battalion drill III the AFTERNOON from three |
to four. There was considerable differ. |
ence III the officers i'll knowledge of mill |
tary facts. Captain Lespas of Compay |
| was by odds the best drill master, be- |
ing master of the French method, by |
which Col. Ellsworth trained his black |
company before the war commenced. |
The writer has seen him take his com
pany ont and after putting them through |
The manual OF arms and other mansuv-
rrs by an order which the men under |
stood, would place himself at the head |
of his company, with his hand raised
the air, wind bis men round INN, which |
when finished formed a bristIlng pyramid
of DayOLeus, aud no osher officer ever to
my knowledge attempted the same drill. |
The officers were equally good Ill the
regular routine dn!l. the Colouel was |
astrlct dlsclpllnari iu and IA martnett OF |
he old SchO3l beiuG an old cavalry Off |
Ger. The Lieutenant Colonel was the |
drill master Of the regiment, where bat |
TALON drill came III he veIy much |
lked bV tue men, AID could get more
and bet ter Work ont of the men, for he
did not drill more than halt an hour at a
time without stopping to rest, and while
they were resting was So socable that
any uu'' could speak To him wituou' lear
pi 4ivI. "iien,e. Col. Hopkins ftvo
re urlli " - i movement of troops fignt
{. rhtr way through the stress of a
city ne mann column pIShIng their
way up tn" tnldule OF the street, while |
9 ~ comp tulen deploye | as skIrmI>nsrS
flc lrn9fh Of the main bouy were m lrch |
ny uh : hc pafemeut uu each side ald
nr'ng 1t an enc my ou tus hUuse tops and
aud upp wiudnwS un tie opp, ste side |
"I the street. The tirlrg was done with
pl'nk cartridges aud during the contnu-
ince of the uGII quite usrlade Was
KEEP NJ, unce and while the columns
""tiIi come t. II uarrIcade across the